How to Beat Fake News

Beating the Fake News Problem – in your world

Fake News – it’s printed so it’s true!

The world is awash with poor or simply fake information and because we see it on website, or in a newspaper or social media many, if not all of us will believe it.

Do we know how dangerous that can be? If you have ever used someone’s advice and run with it only to find out much later, too late sometimes, that it was just not true, then you will know!

Today, Fake News is just another form of Behavioural Waste™ that can be funny and innocent but in business, it’s likely to be damaging and destructive.

Here are 5 questions that come from a link recently sent to our CEO and they look like great advice – or what we at Mind Fit would say is common sense…

Where is this NEWS coming from?

What do the advisers have in terms of credentials and background? What’s their perspective, their bias, their connection? The more you know about the source, the better you can evaluate the advice.

Does this person have an ulterior motive?

There’s an old phrase in Latin: Cui bono? Translation:For whose good? It doesn’t mean to treat potential advisers mistrustfully or with suspicion, but to think through their likely motives to make sure they’re aligned with your own.

We all know a few people who like to hear themselves pontificate with advice that tends to be long-winded and not always appropriate to the situation at hand. Is the adviser taking the time to hear and understand your specific situation?

Does the person sound like a cliché?

Sometimes people give you advice and it starts to sound like a bunch of clichés: Time will tell … Haste makes waste … Don’t put all your eggs into one basket … Clichés have their place–that’s why they’re called clichés, after all — but they can be a red flag for shallow thinking and a lack of perceptiveness.